This is your first meeting with the DiVito family since accepting the contract to perform marketing research. Based on the facts provided in the scenario, draft a problem statement and an initial set of research questions to guide your plan. These questions will set the foundation of the research that needs to take place.
Using the scenario information given, draft a series of questions (issues from the marketer's perspective, not the question wording for a survey questionnaire) attempting to isolate the issues facing DiVito's Bakery. Consider the following in your response:
- What has changed in the environment that is a source of concern for you?
- How are these changes influencing your current objectives?
- What do you already know about these changes?
These types of questions and others should help you formulate a problem statement. Write a problem statement based on the scenario.
Once you have the problem statement, explain the research objectives that will help DiVito's Bakery collect the information needed to solve the problem statement(s). Remember that a key attribute of any objective in marketing research is its ability to be measured. Revisit your research questions identified above and make sure that they are consistent with your problem statement and research objectives. Make any modifications in the series of questions you composed to make them address both the problem statement and research objectives.